The hot, hot, hot growing season of 2003 meant the harvest
started unusually early, around mid-August. Burgundian vintners must have
thought they were in Napa or Australia!

Grapevines seems to "shut down" when the temperatures rise to
hotter-than-hell levels and so the fruit stops "maturing," though
sugar levels can rise due to dehydration. Reports indicate some vintners
chose to harvest early as their fruit was already at a potential for 13+%
alcohol, while others felt the grapes were not physiologically mature.

Yields tended to be rather low, sometimes weighing in at half of
"normal." Acidity levels were reportedly low, though some people
point to substantial tannin as the backbone in 2003 red Burgundies.

We brought together a range of wines from well-regarded estates. Six of
the eight wines had at least one first place vote, while six of the eight also
had a last place vote. The group's top wine was moderately ahead of the
pack and two wines were well behind. With so much controversy, it's no
wonder the "deltas" (differential between your ranking and the group's
ranking) of the 16 tasters was unusually high. Nobody had a single-digit
delta, for example.

Okay...here's what we found.

The Wines

Gerald's Rank

Ellen's Rank

Bob's Rank

GROUP RANK

Total Points

1sts/2nds/
Lasts

FRDERIC ESMONIN2003 Charmes-Chambertin
$67

4

6

4

7

90

0/0/3

GROS FRRE et SURClos VougeotMusigni$90

1

4

1

4

69

3/2/3

GROS FRRE et SUREchzeaux
$90

2

3

6

2

64

1/4/0

DOMAINE ANNE GROSClos-VougeotLe Grand Maupertui$180

3

7

5

3

66

2/3/2

LUCIEN LE MOINECharmes-Chambertin
$106

5

8

8

8

95

1/0/4

MOMMESSINClos de Tart
$250

8

5

3

6

71

4/1/3

MONGEARD-MUGNERETGrands Echezeaux
$135

6

2

7

6

70

0/4/0

Domaine de laROMANE-CONTIEchzeaux
$279.99

7

1

2

1

51

5/2/1

8th Place: LUCIEN
LE MOINE 2003 Charmes-ChambertinOne
critic detected notes of "sweet oak and light perfume to this floral red.
It's got a Band-aid-like note...nice." Someone else found this to
show a "curious, funky off-tone on the nose and it's not very intense on
the palate." Another critic agreed saying they, too, found an
"off" character here. Someone else said they found "H2S
and it's flawed and bitter.: Another taster said they found a
"bitter" quality here, too. A final critic mentioned it's
"reminiscent of raspberry soda and baked fruit cobbler with bitter greens
and a tannic bite on the finish."
I did not find any "off" notes here. My sense was of a fruity,
cherryish wine with a mildly floral tone on the nose. Acidity is okay
here, the wine showing medium+ body. It's mildly tannic and so there's an
element of structure with a bit of power underneath. I liked the long
finish here and found this to be deeply cherryish on the palate with finesse and
elegance. It can be cellared for 5-10 years+. I gave it a
one-and-a-half star rating on my three star scale, no stars being a standard or
ordinary wine.

7th: Place: FRDERIC
ESMONIN 2003 Charmes-Chambertin"I
loved the nose!" said one taster. "It reminds me of crystallized
berries and a cinnamon stick quality. But the wine let me down on the
palate...it's less interesting in the mouth and is tart and warm."
Another panel member found "Earth, coffee, cola, berries and
mocha." Bob Gorman likened the character of this Burgundy to
"Angelica root and there's a spicy note." Someone else found
"cloves," while another person described this as "more complex on
the nose and it's typically Burgundian, but a bit short on the
palate." A final taster mentioned this as being "So
tannic! It's flat though. There's a softness surrounded by
astringency."
I've enjoyed various Esmonin wines of late. They tend not to be
blockbusters, but there's a charm I find to the fragrance of their various
wines. This one, too, has a sweet, woodsy quality on the nose. It's
showing hints of mint and cherries. The flavors are reminiscent of
cinnamon and mint (not as extreme, but I noted this in a recent Vino Fino
tasting of a 2004 Esmonin wine). I liked the oak on the palate and there's
a root-like quality somewhat reminiscent of sassafras. Complex, as there
are various elements showing up on the palate. I gave this a two star
rating.

6th Place: MOMMESSIN 2003 Clos de Tart"This is typical of wines from the 2003 vintage," said one
critic. "It's hot, high in alcohol and has a long finish."
Another person described this as having "light fruit, a bit of cherry and
it's tannic to excess. Not enough fruit to warrant all that
tannin." Someone else found "Ripe, burnt candies...it's got
great 'attack' and a long finish. Great complexity and structure with
peppery notes." Another person found "sweet cherry cola and it's
slightly bitter," while a final critic said "There's not a trace of
Burgundian Pinot Noir in this wine."
That's my impression of the Clos de Tart...it's a perfectly lovely bottle of
wine and I'll gladly drink this. But within the context of this tasting,
this was, for me, the least Burgundian entry. The color was much more
intense and dark than any other wine in the tasting. It's deep ruby in
color, while most are a medium-intense garnet color. This shows sweet,
black fruit aromas. Lots of blackberry notes and black plum fruit with
some raspberry tones. I noted this is "not really Pinot Noir, nor
Burgundy." The flavors are of dark fruits. Black raspberry,
plums, blackberry. I could not identify this, if tasted blind, as a Pinot
Noir alongside the rest of the field. It's a good wine, however. As
a result, I rated it last since it is so unusual. Quite a quandary!

5th Place: MONGEARD-MUGNERET 2003 Grands Echezeaux"I found notes of strawberry, black cherry, mocha and a little
alcohol." said one taster. Another person described this as
showing "Pinot Noir-like cherry fruit, cherry gum drops and it's a rather
simple red wine." Someone else found this to be "Open knit and
it has a nice nose. Simple on the palate, with mocha and meaty
tones." One tasting participant described this as "meaty and
showing notes of ginger ale, blueberry-like fruit on the palate with tones of
wet hay on the nose. It's soft, supple and simply doesn't have 'enough'
there." Another critic found the nose to show a "delightful
aroma and it's a simple and 'good' quality wine."
With lighter garnet color, I found some sweet cherry and light raspberry notes
on the nose. It sports a touch of vanillin from the oak on the nose,
too. This, for me, was a bit soft and lacking in balance...though it has a
light bit of tannin, I don't see this as aging very well. The feel
on the palate is a bit flat. It's a nice, little Burgundy. One star.

4th Place: GROS FRRE et SUR
2003 Clos Vougeot
MusigniOne
critic found flaw with the aromas of this wine, noting "It's got too much
SO2
and is a bit jammy. The wine has soft tannins and is short on the
palate." Another critic cited a number of odd features, finding
"hospital bandage fragrances, notes reminiscent of kim chee, green
peas and asparagus. This is not pleasant." Another panel member
found it "smoky, tarry and showing notes of roasted grains. There's
even a dirt or earthy element and some black licorice." One taster
found it more fruity, likening the nose to lychees. Someone else detected
"baby powder," while another critic cried out "Merde!"
A final taster described this as "the most Burgundian wine of the
tasting. It's very complex and shows sweet oak and Burgundian terroir."
Having ranked this as my top wine, I'm in agreement with that last voice.
I described this as lovely Burgundy. Classic nose, with sweet cherry fruit
and nice vanillin, toasty oak. The acidity is nice here, giving the
wine an aspect of freshness on the palate. It's elegant, refined and
Burgundian in flavor. Nice oak, cherry-like fruit and some root-like
tones. It's got a long finish and will probably cellar handsomely for a
decade, or so. I gave this a two-and-a-half star rating.

3rd Place: ANNE GROS 2003 CLOS
VOUGEOT Le Grand MaupertuiOne
taster said "This wine is intensely Pinot Noir, grandiose, regal and
well-structured. It's my number one wine, easily!" Another
critic found it to show "lovely, soft tannins and it's
well-balanced." Someone else felt "the fruit here was
over-shadowed by the very nice oak." Another taster described this as
having a "cotton candy spice and some black cherry fruit."
Someone else mentioned "Merde!", while another taster found
notes of "butterscotch and a grassy tones I didn't like very much."
I found the nose of the Anne Gros wine to be exceptional, as it offers sweet
toasty oak fragrances with some Asian spices. It's a tad low in acidity
and medium-bodied. Good fruit on the palate, this offers a mildly spicy
character with a bit of warmth. Nice long finish here, too. Two
stars+.

2nd Place: GROS FRRE et SUR
2003 Echzeaux"Here's
a wine showing smoked meat notes and burnt weeds...it's got nice structure with
a burnt, charred oak, brown butter character. There's also a chalky,
bitter finish." said one critic. Another taster described this as
"The most Burgundian wine of the tasting, showing true Pinot Noir
character. It's terroir-driven, with healthy acidity. I loved
it!" Someone else felt "This started out a bit tight, but it
opened nicely over the course of the tasting. I found notes of cherry
cobbler and a bit of a sour note on the finish." One taster
encountered "Lots of toasty oak and it's more substantial than Wine E (the
other Gros Frres wine)." Another person described this as
"Flat and I'm not sure how it will age," while a final voice mentioned
"It's well-balanced and has great fruit."
This was another really good Burgundy in my view. I noted a lot of brown
spices on the nose and some Oriental spice tones. There's a note of anise,
cloves, tea and vanillin on the nose. The brown spice theme continues on the
palate, with hints of nutmeg and cloves. Moderately tannic and having good
fruit, I felt this should age handsomely for a decade, or so. Very
fine. Two stars.

1st Place: Domaine de la ROMANE-CONTI
2003 EchzeauxThe lead-off 'batter'
described this famous estate's wine as having "nice fruit and good cherry
notes. It's approachable now, yet firm, with grippy tannins. It
needs two to five years." Another critic echoed this,
"Ditto...broad, deep, oaky and with good 'layering'. This is the best
balanced wine of the tasting." Someone else found "Strawberry
jam tones and it's not typical Pinot Noir...more like Syrah." One
taster encountered "Black currant fruit, banana peppers and dill with tart
cherries." Another person found this to be "well-balanced,
delicate and elegant." Someone else found some "tea-leaf
notes," while a final voice found the "wood is similar to American
oak-aged wines from Spain. It's furniture quality oak."
I noted aromas of ripe cherries and a kirsch-like tone to the nose. Sweet
beet aromas suggested Burgundy, but I would not imagine this to be the DRC
wine. It was rather more like good cru Beaujolais, being simple and fruity
on the nose. The wine has good acidity and is medium-bodied. It's a
solid effort with flavors being more Burgundian than I'd expect given the
aromas. There's a cherry cobbler character on the palate, with hints of
vanilla. Good. One star. Perhaps 3-6 years of cellar
potential.

Please note: The wines tasted are not always wines
we have (or have had) in the shop.
Many bottles are merely for our enological exploration.
Price quoted are current at the time of the tasting, but may be different
when you're reading this.

WE HAVE NOT ORGANIZED A TASTING IN A WHILE...
BUT WE DO POST THE RESULTS OF A PRIVATE TASTING GROUP THAT'S BEEN MEETING FOR
MORE THAN 40 YEARS!

We are working on
organizing some blind-tastings at the shop.
Send us a note to indicate your interest in participating.
These would be on Wednesday evenings and you'd need to bring 8 wine glasses.